Patents Assigned to Outokumpu Oyj
  • Element for separating an electrolytic tank
    Patent number: 6793783
    Abstract: A separating element for separating the bottom part of an electrolytic tank from the rest of the tank space in connection with the removal of solids settled on the bottom of the electrolytic tank, said separating element being installable in the electrolytic tank and removable therefrom along a path formed by support and control members arranged in the electrolytic tank. The separating element comprises a flexible wall element and at least one set of support members arranged in the wall element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventor: Tuomo Kivistö
  • Equipment for the leaching of solid matter from sludge
    Patent number: 6793816
    Abstract: The present invention concerns equipment for the leaching of solid matter from a sludge with the aid of a gas containing oxygen, the said equipment comprising a tall reactor (1) equipped with a central pipe (2) and from the reactor bottom (3), an upward-directed double-action mixer (5). The mixer is situated in the vicinity of the lower edge of the central pipe: the upper blades (13) of the mixer produce a downward suction flow from the central pipe, and the lower blades (14) disperse the gas to be fed into the sludge in the form of small bubbles, thereby preventing the solid matter from settling to the bottom of the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventors: Heikki Takala, Yrjö Oinonen, Kurt Höglund
  • Device for a flotation machine
    Patent number: 6789788
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for a flotation machine in which a drive shaft for mixing slurry and transporting air is driven by a drive arrangement and the drive shaft is provided with a bearing assembly and the drive shaft is at least partly hollow in the interior for transferring air to a rotor. According to the invention the drive shaft is provided with at least one bearing in a housing separated from at least one element forming an air transfer chamber around the drive shaft. Further, the drive shaft has at least one opening in order to create an essentially continuous connection between the air transfer chamber and the interior of the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventor: Jeffrey Belke
  • Monitoring and control of a froth flotation plant
    Patent number: 6778881
    Abstract: The invention uses machine-vision to improve the performance of a flotation operation to provide a substitute for conventional human vision and problem-solving abilities. The invention redirects the conventional approach of “characterizing the froth” to “measuring the froth characteristic.” The invention provides a method of monitoring and controlling a mineral mixture flow in a froth flotation cell of a flotation plant which includes the steps of obtaining a series of digital images extracted of froth characteristics from a flotation cell. The digital images are transmitted to a computer for processing thereof into parameter signals of digital parameter froth characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventors: Francois Eberhardt Du Plessis, Marc Van Olst
  • Rotor for flotation mechanism and method for directing material flow in flotation machine
    Patent number: 6772885
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rotor used in the flotation mechanism in the concentration of ores. According to the invention, upper part of the rotor chambers under the rotor cover are formed to be downward inclined from the outer edge of the chambers into the core so that they form an angle between 5 to 70 degrees with the horizontal plane. In addition the upper surface of the rotor cover can be inclined upwards raising from around the rotor shaft towards the outer edge at an angle between 5-70 degrees. With the means inside and above the rotor the slurry is directed upwards through the stator of the flotation mechanism. The developed rotor improves the suspension of coarse particles with high specific gravity within a flotation machine. The invention relates also to a method for inverting the material flow disharging from the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventor: Peter Bourke
  • Casting mould for manufacturing a cooling element and cooling element in said mould
    Patent number: 6773658
    Abstract: The invention relates to a casting mould for manufacturing of a cooling element for a pyrometallurgical reactor, wherein the casting mould is at least partly cooled and lined with a material that can withstand high temperatures. The invention also relates to the cooling element made in the mould, inside which cooling pipes made of nickel copper are placed during fabrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventors: Yrjö Leppänen, Pertti Mäkinen, Matti Salminen
  • Method for making an electroconductive joint
    Patent number: 6772936
    Abstract: A method for creating an electroconductive joint in connection with conductor rails made of copper or copper alloy, in which method in between the conductor rail elements to be joined, there is applied soldering/brazing agent, whereafter at least the junction area is heated, so that a joint is created. According to the method, the employed soldering/brazing agent is a layered soldering/brazing agent foil (3) comprising surface layers (4, 6) and an intermediate layer (5) therebetween, and the junction area is thermally treated, so that a diffusion joint is created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventor: Veikko Polvi
  • Method for the leaching of solid matter from sludge
    Patent number: 6770207
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the leaching of solid matter from a sludge with the aid of a gas containing oxygen, whereby the solid matter of the sludge is recirculated in a tall reactor equipped with a central pipe in the centre of the reactor and a double-action mixer located in the vicinity of the lower edge of the central pipe. A flow is formed with the aid of the mixer which sucks the sludge from the central pipe downward, and a gas to be conducted into the sludge in the bottom part of the reactor is dispersed in the form of small bubbles into the sludge outside the central pipe and the flow direction of the sludge is turned upwards in the outer casing of the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventors: Heikki Takala, Yrjö Oinonen
  • Separation device for a flotation machine
    Patent number: 6766909
    Abstract: Invention relates to a flotation machine which at least contains a flotation cell (2) having a means for feeding slurry in the floatation cell, a means for feeding gas into the slurry and producing aerated slurry (4) and froth (3), a means for removing froth from the flotation cell and a means for removing tailings from the flotation cell, when the flotation cell (2) is provided with at least one separation device (5), which is arranged to float at the interface (6) between phases having different densities, such as froth (3) and aerated slurry (4), in order to improve the removal of froth phase from the flotation cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventor: Christian Kujawa
  • Arrangement and method for heating gas in a gas duct in connection with continuously operated sintering
    Patent number: 6767206
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement and method for heating gases in a gas circulation duct in connection with continuously operated sintering. In the sintering furnace, hot gas is fed in from above the belt in order to sinter the material located on the belt, and part of the gas circulation duct is formed as a burning zone, a burner ring, where the gas is heated. The burner ring comprises at least one burner unit directed inwardly from the circumference of the gas circulation duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventors: Pekka Niemela, Eero Väänänen, Jouko Pirttimaa, Olavi Tulkki
  • Equipment for water heater
    Patent number: 6763786
    Abstract: The invention relates to an equipment to be used in a gas-fired water heater which equipment contains a combustion chamber (2) and a heat exchanger (1). Accordingly the combustion chamber (2) is made of a ceramic material and provided with slots (3) for crossing the heating elements (4) of the heat exchanger (1) through the opposite walls (5,6) of the combustion chamber (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventor: José M. Vergara
  • Arrangement for measuring concentrate flow in connection with a flotation cell
    Patent number: 6763732
    Abstract: An arrangement for measuring material flow, particularly concentrate flow, in connection with a flotation cell. The arrangement comprises an elongate sensor element extending essentially over the whole transversal area of the material flow to be measured, and a measuring device for detecting the position of the sensor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventors: Eljas Saastamoinen, Mikael Forss
  • Device for supporting a conveyor belt used in the continuously operated sintering of a material bed
    Patent number: 6764305
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for supporting a conveyor belt used in the continuously operated thermal treatment, i.e. sintering, of a material bed. According to the invention, in the top part of the frame structure of the belt conveyor, there is installed at least one support element, whereby an essentially smooth slide surface can be obtained for the conveyor belt, and in the interior of the support element there is made a channel system in order to enable the flow-through of the intermediate agent fed into the support element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: OUTOKUMPU Oyj
    Inventors: Eero Väänänen, Martti Jankkila, Olavi Tulkki
  • Method for the production of blister copper in suspension reactor
    Patent number: 6761749
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of producing blister copper pyrometallurgically in a suspension reactor directly from its sulfidic concentrate. According to the method the copper sulfide concentrate is fed into a suspension reactor, into which cooled and finely ground copper matte is also fed in order to bind the heat released from the concentrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventors: Jaakko Poijärvi, Tarmo Mäntymäki
  • Method for reducing non-ferrous metal content in slag in the production of non-ferrous metals occurring in suspension smelting furnace
    Patent number: 6755890
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, whereby the non-ferrous metal content of the slag generated in the production of non-ferrous metals such as copper or nickel in a suspension smelting furnace is reduced by charging metallurgical coke, with a size ranging from 1-25 mm, into the furnace. Baffles can be positioned from the roof of the furnace downwards, by means of which small particles containing copper and nickel are prevented from drifting to the back of the furnace and being tapped with the slag. The baffles force the small particles to settle in the reduction zone of the furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventors: Pekka Hanniala, Ilkka Kojo, Risto Saarinen
  • Device for detaching filter cakes
    Patent number: 6754927
    Abstract: A device (1) for detaching a filter cake which adheres to a filter cloth (4) of a filter press, comprising at least two deflection bodies (2, 3) around which the filter cloth (4) extends in an S-shaped manner and which can be moved in an approximately vertical direction, so that the S-shaped deflection brushes essentially completely over the adhering area of the filter cake. In order to achieve a complete detachment even in the case of filter cake which is not fully filtered out it is proposed filter cloth (4) extends in a sliding fashion during a relative movement between the same deflection bodies (2, 3) over a surface of one deflection body (3) and is provided with bend (8) in its course at a longitudinal edge (7) of said deflection body (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventors: Wilhelm Claessen, Karl Grafen, Menrad Wesp
  • Method and apparatus for positioning solder or braze material on the fins
    Publication number: 20040108365
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for positioning solder or braze material on the fin material to be used in a heat exchanger, as a radiator for vehicle, in which method the fin material, as a corrugated strip, is partly covered with solder or braze material. According to the invention the fin material (8) is transferred to the vicinity of a cladding device (1,2) so that when the fin material (8) is passed by the cladding device (1,2), the fin material (8) is cladded by solder or braze material (11) at least in one side of the fin material (8) essentially at the curved parts (10) of the fin material (8).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Applicant: OUTOKUMPU OYJ
    Inventors: Leif Tapper, Anders Falkeno, Kurt Svanberg
  • Method for manufacturing a cooling element and a cooling element
    Patent number: 6742699
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a cooling element comprising a housing part and ceramic lining elements arranged on the housing part surface. The ceramic lining elements (2) are connected to the element housing part (1) by using in the joint between the lining elements and the housing part a soldering/brazing agent, wherein at least the junction area is heated at least up to the melting temperature of the soldering/brazing agent, so that there is created a joint with a good thermal contact with the element housing part (1) and a ceramic lining element (2). The invention also relates to a cooling element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventors: Risto Saarinen, Yrjö Leppänen
  • Method for measuring the surface height of a material bed conducted on a conveyor belt to thermal treatment
    Patent number: 6739446
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for measuring the surface height of a material bed transported on a conveyor belt to continuously operated thermal treatment, i.e. to continuously operated sintering, when said material bed is formed of single spherical and fragile particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventors: Pekka Niemelä, Eero Väänänen
  • Method for making a joint between copper and stainless steel
    Patent number: 6740179
    Abstract: A method for making a joint between copper or copper alloys and austenitic steel alloys, in which method in between the junction surfaces of the objects to be joined together, there is arranged at least one intermediate layer, so that the junction surfaces, including their intermediate layers, are pressed together, and at least the junction area is heated in order to create a diffusion joint. In the method, there is brought a first intermediate layer (3) on the junction surface of the steel object (2) or against said surface, in order to activate the creation of the diffusion joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Outokumpu Oyj
    Inventors: Vëikko Polvi, Pekka Taskinen, Tuija Suortti